NATIONAL MEDIA NONSENSE ... That's how Alaska Dispatch's Craig Medred classifies the ever-increasing interest the national media has with anything having to do with the state. From Medred: "sometimes these days it seems the national media -- lamestream and otherwise -- has gone more mama grizzly than mama grizzly Sarah Palin herownself what with all the huffing, slobbering, ground stomping and unthinking charges." It's a must read for anyone looking to increase their intake of witty, appropriately-directed cynicism.

VEGGIES AND YOUR GOLF SWING ... Seems Phil Mickelson, the number two golfer in the world and owner of the rights to a California burger chain called Five Guys, has gone vegetarian. Yep. After succumbing to psoriatic arthritis Mickelson started doing research on how to manage the inflammatory disease, and in doing so decided to follow advice that recommended a meat-free diet. And for the skeptics, his illness is currently in remission and the golfer intends to stick with plant-based foods to prevent a relapse. Nervous about giving up meat? Here are some recipes to try out!

CHIC COMPOSTING ... It's true! For those of you with a large backyard, composting is easy. For city dwellers it seems downright disgusting. But Uncommon Goods has ceramic countertop compost containers that not only look good, they remind you to give new life to coffee grounds, orange peels, and the like. Even in the city you can use the composted material for house plants, or donate it to a local community garden.

DIY CABIN RETREAT ... The Signal Shed. It was featured in Sunset Magazine. There’s no running water or electricity and it relies on a wood-burning stove for heat. But Mariah Morrow and Ryan Lingard built themselves the 130-square foot cabin in the mountains where they can retreat, relax, and go completely off the grid. You can buy the plans for $1000, or they’ll send you one already made for $18K. Sunset has awesome, inspiring, photos detailing the construction. Contact  Lingard through his site.  

BUS DRIVES OVER CARS ... No, this isn't a recap of a recent urban catastrophe. The "straddling bus", technically named the 3D Express Coach, is China's newest green transportation innovation. Basically, it's a huge bus that operates like a train on wheels, and is so tall that cars can drive right under it. Each bus is about two street lanes wide, 18 feet tall, and can hold up to 1,400 people. Powered by electricity and solar energy, the traffic monster is capable of speeds up to 60 kph. If all goes well, a planned 186km of straddling bus roadway will begin construction at the year’s end. Check out the video below, the bus appears about 48 seconds in.

Contact me! I am Greening of Oil’s social networker. My weekly column is posted on Greening of Oil’s Buzz and Latest news pages.

My email is mac@greeningofoil.com.